Fuel-feeding apparatus for internal combustion engines



7 Nov. 24, 1931. D. BALACHOWSKY ET AL I 1,333,552

FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES I Filed Feb. 10, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l l/Vl/[NTUR 2M1?? Balaclawsk in? flziZ z k aa azz ra ATTUF'NEY Nov. 24, 1931.

D. BALACHOWSKY ET AL 1,333,552

FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 10, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6

Patented Nov. 24, 931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nmrrmr BALACHOWSKY AND PHILIPPE CAIRE, or PARIS, 1mm, nssrenons 'ro socIE'rE nns BREvE'rs CATALEX, or GENEVA, SWITZERLAND FUEL-FEEDING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed February 10, 1928, Serial No. 253,467, and in France September 7, 1927.

This invention which is a continuation in fplart of our application Serial No. 163,816,

led January 26, 1927, relates to thermochemical apparatus or devices for supplying a rich emulsion of liquid hydro-carbon fuel and air to internal combustion enginesafter such emulsion has been converted into a gaseous explosive mixture. The invention has spe-' cial reference to engine-feeding apparatus of the type disclosed in our prior Patent No.

1,630,048, granted May 24, 1927; and its object, stated briefly, is to improve the earlier, patented construction in certain respects hereinafter specified. According to the earlier invention, a mixture of heavy oil and air is fedto a catalyzing chamber containing a multitude of hollow catalyzing elements through which the exhaust gases from the engine are constantl 2 passed, so that the exhaust gas stream wil be split up into a multitude of separate, relatively-fine streams which" will heat the catalyzing elements during their passage therethrough. The mixture of oil and air is itself split into small streams by the catalyzing elements while passing through the catalyzing chamber, and these streams will be decomposed catalytically by contact with said elements, the decomposed mixture then being delivered to the engine for ignition therein.

In the present invention, the apparatus effeets molecular transformation of the hydrocarbons previous to their being used in the engine cylinders and, while said transformaing of new products, it is achieved either under the influence of heat from the catalyzing walls or from thecatalyzer body, or under the influence of an admission of air or of any other gas, the devices employed in that connection being usable either separately or in combination. The heat used for the molecular transformation above referred to may be obtained either from the engine exhaust gases or from any other convenient source (burners, electrical resistance, etc.) and, in -all cases, the chemical reactions take place only in the presence of a minimizedamount of oxygen so as not to generate any combustion outside the engine beyond-carbonic oxide.

tion may be a decomposing or a reconstitut-' Through analyses of the gases issuing from the catalyzing apparatus,we haveascertained that almost the whole of such gases are uncondensable. No condensation having to be feared, according to our invention, we have separated from the gas mixing and stirring device the catalyzer or chemical transformer of particles through which the emulsion passes. In other words, we have located the catalyzer as near as possible the engine exhaust gas outlet, thereby taking avail of a maximum of heat; and we have led, by means of a duct of suitable diameter, the gases issuing from the apparatus to a mixing and stirring device connected with the engine intake and wherein the physical treatment is effected.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagram of an apparatus embodying the invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are two views on an enlarged scale illustrating details of the stirring and mixing device, hereinafter termed simply the mixer.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 relate to modifications of the catalyzing device.

Figure '7 shows a possible embodiment of a heatin device for the mixer.

In igure 1, the catalyzer is denoted at 1, being housed in a casing 2 heated by exhaust gases issuing from the engine 12 and flowing along the path pointed out by arrows. A fuel atomizing and spraying device 3, provided with a float chamber, su plies, under the action of the hereinafter escribed engine suction, the rich emulsion that passes through catalyzer 1 and is led in the state of decomposed and transformed gas,-to the mixer 5 through a duct or pipe 4. Sometimes it may be advisable to make the emulsion with the exhaust gases.

The mixer comprises a casing 6 analogous to the casing of a centrifugal pump; and mto this casing enters tangentially at 7 the rich, emulsion fed through duct 4, said emulsion thus having a gyratory motion imparted to it.

On the one side of said casing is supplied at 8 complemental air serving to form the explosive mixture. This air supply may be regulated by means of a butterfly valve.8'.

On the side opposite said complemental air 100 inlet is the outlet 9 for the final mixture that goes to feed the engine 12; a butterfly valve permitting the feed and, consequently, the speed and the power of the engine to be controlled. Said butterfly valves 10 and 8' may be adjusted either independently or, simultaneously by means of any suitable mechanical device, the latter arrangement being illustrated in Fig. 2.

I 10 It should be noted that, in order to in- Obviously, without departing from the scope of our invention, there may be intro-' duced into the mixer 6 either compressed air or even an air-and-oxygen mlxture, as well as organlc products contamlng oxygen 5 (ether, alcohol, etc.) so as to supply the engme with a super-compressed explosive mixture that will fill it up as fully as possible. This would permit the temperature to be raised in the combustion chamber and, in

sonic cases, sparking ignition to be dispensed wit Furthermore, as shown by Figure 6, several spray nozzles 3 may be used, eagh, if required, with its own float chamber; aid nozzles may befed with difierent liquids, even non-miscible. A. single spray nozzle can however, be fed with several liquids. I

We can also produce emulsion through exterior pressure by means of a fan 13 (Figure 4) or of any other similar device and in a certain cases, we can have recourse to injection under pressure by means of a pump 14 (Figure 5). v v

As will be apparent from Figure 7 the mixer 6 ma be electrically heated by aresistance 15 ed from a suitable source of current 16 in order to facilitate engine starting,

especially in the case where alcohol is. used as fuel.

We may also, for the same purpose, heat the catalyzer of the apparatus by means of a suitable exterior source of heat. 1

We would call attention to the fact that where the fuel is petrol or gasoline, a considerable saving is ensured, consumption being materially reduced.

We wish it to'be clearly understood that the above described embodiments are not in tended as limitative in any respect and that we reserve the right to introduce any desirable modifications and alterations without being deemed to depart from the scope of our 35 described the nature of our said invention as well as the manner in which the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:

Fuel-feeding apparatus for internal combustion engines, comprising a device for spraying and atomizing fuel with a relatively-small quantity of air insufiicient for combustion so as to form an emulsion of the air and atomized fuel; a catalyzing device beyond the spraying and atomizin device and directly connected thereto; a casing, wherein the catalyzing device is enclosed connected directly to the exhaust pipe of an engine so as to deliver the hot exhaust gases to said casing to circulate around and heat the catalyzing device; a diffuser beyond the catalyzing device embodying a casing and a set of radiallyarranged, curved blades therewithin; said casing having -a tangential inlet for the decomposed vapors coming from the catalyzing device, and also having an inlet beyond said 85 catalyzing device for the secondary air nec- ,=ssary for combustion and an outlet for the explosive mixture connected to the fuel inlet of the engine; and a duct leading from said catalyzing device directly to said cas- 90 in inlet.

11 testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.-

- DMITRY BALAOHOWSKY.

PHILIPPE GAIRE. 

